Cold storage facilities and logistics warehouses are not typically associated with high thermal energy demand — the focus is usually on refrigeration electricity. But large facilities (10,000+ pallets) have significant heating needs for defrost systems, packhouse operations, worker areas, and loading docks. Biomass pellets are emerging as a cost-effective, clean solution for these thermal loads.
Where Cold Storage Facilities Use Heat
- Evaporator defrost systems: Hot gas or hot water defrost of evaporator coils in large cold rooms — especially in facilities storing fruits and vegetables requiring frequent defrost cycles
- Packhouse & pre-cooling operations: Potato and onion curing rooms require warm air (30–35°C) for several weeks before cold storage — a significant thermal load
- Worker welfare areas: Large warehouses in north Gujarat require heating during December–February for worker comfort
- Ripening rooms: Banana and mango ripening chambers require precise temperature control at 18–22°C — achievable with biomass hot-water heating systems
Gujarat Cold Storage Market Context
Gujarat has over 800 registered cold storage facilities with combined capacity exceeding 4 million MT — concentrated in Rajkot, Junagadh (for groundnut), Anand (dairy), and Ahmedabad (distribution). Many of these facilities currently use diesel boilers or electric immersion heaters for their limited thermal needs — expensive and inefficient choices. A 50,000 sqft cold storage with a potato curing operation typically uses ₹3–₹5 lakh/season in diesel for heating. Switching to biomass cuts this by 60–70%.
Practical Implementation
For most cold storage applications, a small biomass hot water generator (0.5–2 lakh Kcal/hour) is sufficient. These units cost ₹2–₹5 lakh and have zero civil work requirements — they connect directly to existing hot water piping or ducted air systems. Biomass consumption for curing season: 5–15 MT total.
BBI supplies in minimum 2 MT lots, making even seasonal cold storage users viable customers. Contact BBI for a cold storage energy assessment.